Remember Me This Way
by BlueberryPancakes
Summary: Five years after the end of "Are You Strong Enough To Be My Man" Read that first!


Remember Me This Way

The second installment in the River Skellington trilogy

      Background info: Five years have passed since Orion left Halloweentown, does River still remember him?  Does she wonder where he is, or why he left?  Or better yet, does she still love him?

Disclaimer: I don't own The Nightmare Before Christmas.  However, the following characters _are_ mine: River Skellington, Echo Skellington, Oliver Skellington, Ebony Kaufmann, Ivory Kaufmann, Simon Serex, and Violet Serex.  Enjoy!

          River Jade Skellington stood in the doorway of the guest bedroom.  Orion Ceryx had once stayed there, a long time ago.  

           The first year after Orion's disappearance was hard for the Skellington family.  They had just started fresh again, River was no long plagued with nightmares, and their life was back to normal.  But then he left, leaving only a note and a single black rose on the Spiral Hill, and no one saw or heard from him again.  

          Five years had passed since Orion had mysteriously disappeared.  River was twenty-one now, she was no longer a foolish teenager, but a mature woman.   

          A strong hand fell to her shoulder, and squeezed in comfort, "Come on, River, you've been standing here all day."

          River sighed; she turned her head, "I know."

          "You miss him don't you?"

          River turned away, "Sometimes," she closed her eyes.  "Sometimes when I look at this room, all the memories we shared come back, I think about him, late at night when I come here.  But I'm over that now, it's in the past."

          "Your life awaits you, Miss Skellington." The strong hands massaged her tense shoulders.  

          River smiled, she leaned her head back, "As your life awaits you, Mr. Jack Skellington."

          "Don't call me that, you know I don't like it." The massage stopped.  

          River laughed, "I know, that's precisely why I call you that, Oliver."

          "Sisterly love, gotta love it." Oliver laughed, "Come on, Dad's not working, we've got to find some way to bother him for the next twenty four hours."

          River turned around, facing him, "Is that all you think about?  Pestering family members?"

          "Yah, pretty much." Oliver shrugged and confirmed her statement.  

          River shook her head, "I should have known, you're seventeen, you have a one track mind."

          "Two track." Oliver corrected, sounding hurt, "Eating, sleeping, and pestering family members."

          "That's three tracks, Pumpkin Prince." River shook her head, _I swear, he needs to be put in a nut house.  She patted him on the head.  _

          "Oops." Oliver laughed, "Now come on, lets go find Dad." He slipped his arm through hers, and pulled gently.  

          "Alright, already, I'm coming, just let me have a few more moments alone with my mind, then I'll come down with you and Dad, I promise." River pushed him playfully.  

          Oliver nodded, he knew his sister still missed Orion, she wouldn't admit it, but she did.  "Okay, see you in the tower." He turned and walked up the stairs.  

          River turned back to the empty room, her long red hair falling around her face and cascading down her shoulders.  

          She had missed Orion terribly for the first year after he left.  

          Gradually, she began to stitch the pieces of her shattered life back together.  She still missed him when she saw the guest bedroom, but she was over him, he had left her for a reason, and he must be over her by now.   It was obvious they weren't meant to be together after all.  She took one last look before closing the door and walking up the spiral stairs to the tower, where the only men she needed were.  

          "She still misses him, Dad.  I found her staring into the guest bedroom again.  I'm worried about her, someone has to find Orion and tell him what he's done to her." Oliver told Jack Skellington who was sitting at his desk looking out the window.  

          "Oliver, Orion Ceryx is gone, and he's not coming back, if he was, he would be here already.  If she need closure, Orion not coming back should be enough." Jack shook his head.  

          "He might come back, you never know." Oliver tried to sound hopeful for River's sake.  

          "It's been five years, Orion's not coming back." Jack looked him in the eye.  

          River stepped into the room, "Hey Dad, Oliver's not driving you up the wall, yet?"

          Jack smiled, "No, not yet.  How are you on this horribly gloomy day?  Good?"

          "Yah, I'm doing pretty good, bored out of my mind, but good." River moved closer.  

          "That's good to hear." Jack glanced at Oliver, who nodded, "River, I know you still think about Orion."

          "I think about him sometimes, I wonder if that blood sucking leech has been plagued with his own nightmares yet." River muttered bitterly.  

          "Let me finish.  I know you still think of him, but, I don't want you to shut off every other man out there, because of one bad experience." Jack touched her hand, unknowingly in the same way Orion had long ago.  

          River pulled away, "Orion used to hold my hand like that." She uttered to herself.  "Please, I don't want to talk about it.  It's in the past, lets leave it there."

          "River, I'm sorry, but if you don't confront this, you're going to live alone for the rest of your life, alone and unhappy.  I can't just sit here and watch that happen to my little girl." Jack stood his ground.  

          "My heart needs a little more time to heal.  Please, I've already had my life shattered to bits, I don't want to have it shattered again, once was enough." River pleaded.  

          "River, I think that if you talk about it more, you'll be able to heal yourself faster, if you let people help you, like we're trying to do now.  Pain goes away faster if it's talked about." Oliver spoke up.  

          "I told you that three years ago." River closed her eyes.  

          She knew they were right, she was so afraid of the pain returning, that she had shut out almost everything that involved any risk of breaking that barrier.  

          "And now I'm saying it to you." Oliver told her.  

          "If you talk to us, to your mother, to Echo, to Ebony or to Ivory, if you talk to Dr. Finklestein, if you talk to anyone, it will help the pain." Jack gave her the final push in the right direction.  

          "I know, I need to talk, but, you wouldn't understand, what I want to talk about right now, excuse me." River tried to smile, rose quickly, and left the room, fighting the tears.  

* * *

          Echo Slate Skellington sat on her bed staring out the window at the town of Halloween she called home.  

          There was a knock on the door, "It's River, can I come in?  I need to talk."

          "Come on in." Echo turned to the opening door, "What's up?" she saw the still wet tears on her sister's face, "It's about Orion isn't it?"

          River nodded, "I need to talk to somebody.  Somebody who will understand why I did the things I did."

          Echo nodded silently, and made room for River on the bed.  

          "The first moment I met Orion…" River paused, "At that moment, I knew I had found someone that would be more than a friend, a very special friend, who would never let me down, and catch me when I fell, but I was wrong." 

          Echo sat quietly watching her sister, listening to her, staring deep into the hollowness of her dark clouded eyes.  _This is worse than I thought, then we all thought.  Much worse…_

* * *

          River and Echo sat on the bed, watching the sunrise, as the conversation continued, as it had long into the darkness of the night.  

          "But how do I get over it?" River sniffed, "How can I forget everything bad that's happened, and move on?"

          "You can't forget it, but you can learn to live with it." Echo told her sadly.  

          "And how am I supposed to do that if I can't get over it?" River started to cry again.  

          "Go into the guest bedroom and stay there, it will help, believe me." Echo cocked her head to the side.    

          River tried to smile, "I've searched blindly for the key to the door, that's right in front of my face, and you just helped me find it.  Thank you, you're the best sister anyone could have, and you're mine." She hugged Echo.  

          "Now get into that guest bedroom, and don't come out, until Orion is a thing of the past.  After that, everything will be okay, I promise." Echo looked deep into her jade eyes with her crystal blue ones.  

          River nodded, and walked out the door, and down the hall to the large guest bedroom, where Orion once slept.  

* * *

          The Halloween sun rose in the morning sky, it's deep ruby glow pulsating through the quiet town.  The Skellington mansion towered above, the homes loomed below.   

          River lay still on the black canopy bed, her eyes studying the delicate fabric.  She had lay on the bed awake all-night; thinking about the past, thinking about the present, thinking about the future.  She slowly closed her eyes, and remembered the past, remembered her carefree days with Orion.  Her mouth curled into a sad smile.  

          "You only live once.  Come on, I'll race you to the graveyard!" A young man stood, dressed in baggy clothes, his voice deep, and masculine.  

          "Anything for my love!" A young female laughed, also dressed in baggy clothes, her voice soft, and elegant.  

          The two young lovers ran off into the bright sunset.  Their cares and worries washed away with the soft dirt between their bare toes.  

          The girl found herself on her back on the ground, the boy sitting next to her, "You only live once." She smiled, and watched the sunset with him, from now, until eternity.  

          River slowly opened her eyes, she was back on the bed, deep within the old mansion, the memory of the past disbanded, and only the cold morning air was left in its place.  

          She closed her eyes, and slept.  The Halloween sun had risen and fallen four times before she forced herself to awake again.  She sat up slowly, adjusting her eyes to the brightness of the room.  She wasn't sure if she was still in her fantasy, or reality.  Either way, she felt better, strangely.  

          River thought she was hallucinating when a faint image of Orion appeared in front of her; he seemed to be trying to tell her something.  _I'm still sleeping, I have to be, oh, god, please let be sleeping…  Life had played with her mind many times before, and was most likely doing it again.  She moved slightly, and followed the shadow with her eyes.  _

          Orion's voice rushed though her, cool, soothing, calming, almost fatherly like, "I'm gone, River, I'm never coming back, I've made my peace with it, and you should too, River, I love you, and I always will, but we where never meant to be together, that's why fate tore us apart.  Everything happens for a reason, like it or not.  There was never closure, so here it is, goodbye, River, I love you, and I'll miss you."

          The illusion burst into black flames, and disappeared, River sat motionless on the bed, at that moment, River knew that the years of pain where behind her; the depression was lifted, and her life awaited her.  She had wasted five years of her youth waiting, and wanting, longing for something just out of reach, but that was over, it was time to start fresh, to forget the past, and move into the future.  

          The room sparkled and shined, every corner, every crevice, everything glowed with liveliness; the black quilt which covered the bed shone though the darkness, the canopy lit up like the morning sun, and the light poured through, penetrating through River's soul, and gently mending her broken heart.  

          A smile formed on River's lips, her jade eyes sparkled with life, her body sprang from the bed, and rushed through the door, the steps creaking as she sped down into the kitchen, her hands grabbed Oliver who was standing by the table talking with Jack.  

          "Come on, Oliver!  You only live once!" She laughed and dragged him out the door, though the iron gates, and up to the Spiral Hill.  

          Oliver stared at his oldest sister, seeing the spark in her eyes that had been lost years ago, seeing her strength, her mind, her spirit, roam free, after being freed from the prison of damned love.  

          She held both his hands in hers, and spun around with him like children at play.  Her long, red, hair flowing in the air and over her shoulders in a goddess-like shower.  

          Jack Skellington kept still for a few moments, then ran out the door after his children, and yelled for Sally to come.  He stood in the doorway, watching them play.  

          Sally rushed to his side, never before had her husband's voice sounded so urgent, "What is it, Jack?!"

          "It's River, Sally.  It's River…" Jack could barely speak, he pointed with a long, bony, finger to the scene that lie before them.  

          "Ohhhh." Sally uttered, her own voice lost in the moment, "She's…"

          "The spark of life has returned, to our River Jade, and this time, it's here to stay, and nothing will take it away." Jack placed his long arm around his wife.  

          "And not a moment too soon, not a moment too soon." Sally closed her eyes, leaned against Jack, and watched her children frolic in the glowing sun.  

* * *

          A dark figure walked through the gates of Halloweentown.  He knew this place well, and he returned to finish some unfinished business from long ago, five years to be exact.  

* * *

          The past week had erased the past five years of River's life, as well as the rest of the Skellington family.  Each day was a new day, fresh and dark with the hopes of a wicked Halloween, which was nearing each passing day.  Thoughts of Orion never entered her mind; it was if he had been a fragment of her imagination, an illusion, or a dream.  

          She sat on a bench with Ebony and Ivory Kaufmann, laughing and losing her sense of self-consciousness, just like old times.  

          "River, you haven't been this crazy since we where fifteen!" Ivory laughed as River danced in front of them.  

           River stopped abruptly, she shuddered.  

          Ivory stopped laughing, "What?  What's wrong?" she shivered as an icy wind blew, her long red hair flowing fiercely around her face.  

          "I felt something, something _evil." River's eyes turned to stone.  _

* * *

          Town Hall rose into view of the dark figure entering Halloweentown.  He was a stranger to these parts now, but he hadn't always been.  Once, a long time ago, he had lived here, with his broken family, watching, waiting, for his escape, and then in came- River Jade Skellington.  

* * *

          "But Dad!  I'm telling you!  I felt something today!  I felt something that I haven't felt for years!  You have to believe me!" River turned around, following the Pumpkin King.  

          "River, honey, I wish I could, but you've been so torn up over the past few years, and you got over it so quickly, you're likely to relapse-" Jack turned around and faced her once more.  

          "So is that how you think of me?  As some mental patient, who, who was just released yesterday?  Who has seen the world for the first time in seventeen years?!  I felt something, I know I did." River stared at him through hurt eyes.  

          "Riv, that's not how I see you, I believe that you felt something, but that's all it was, you felt something, not a big deal." Jack laid his hands on her shoulders.  

          She jerked away, "Some father you are!" she pushed her way past him, "Don't even listen to your own kids!" she slammed the door.  

          Jack sighed; he walked back over to his desk, and flopped into his chair.  He picked up a picture in a silver frame, he smiled sadly, a scene of a young Skellington girl and her father wavered before him, so young, so innocent, the scene lay frozen in time, for all eternity.  

*  * *

          River tore her way through the thick forest, batting away tree branches, dodging roots, and brushing away tears.  Her baggy pants caught on a fallen limb, and tore, but she paid no heed.  She tripped, and fell to the moist ground with a thud, she moaned and tried to lift her head; pain shot through her body, threatening to rip it apart, her head fell back to the ground, and she lay still.  

          Leaves blew around her, rattling in the sharp wind.  Heavy footsteps crunched in the distance, edging their way closer, and closer.  The wind blew fiercely, the forest darkened; a tall figure stepped in front of the unconscious body, his wispy hair beating around his thin face.  Lightning struck behind him, his dark eyes lit up with the light, his solemn expression stared deep into the shadows.  

          River lifted her head slightly, the dark figure loomed before her, her eyes widened momentarily, then she relaxed.  

          The figure bent down and lifted her lanky body from the ground, her legs and arms dangling, and continued onward deeper into the black forest, heavy rain drops falling in a continues stream.  

* * *

          Raindrops fell heavily on to the stain glass windows of the Skellington mansion.  Lightning flashed in the dark sky, Jack's tall silhouette shone through the window.  His bony fingers tapped on glass in rhythm.

* * *

          A fire flickered in the fireplace; the tall figure kneeled by River, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest, her deep, soft, breathing echoing off the walls.  

          River's eyelids fluttered, she turned her head, "Ohhhh…  head…"

          "Shhhhhhhh." A strong hand stroked her jaw-line; piercing eyes stared deep into hers.  

          River gasped, her hand flew to her head in pain, "Get away…" she moaned.  

          "River…  River, please…" the figure spoke softly, lifting his hand to her face.  

          River slapped it away; "Stay away!" she cried, "Just stay away from me!"

          "River, listen to me, please, listen." Heavy words sank into River's heart.  

          "Stay away from me, Orion." River growled, her eyes squinted; her words overcome with pain and hatred.  

* * *

          Echo moaned, the pain was unbearable; she slumped onto a black velvet couch, shielding her eyes from all light.  A sudden headache had overcome her not long ago, tearing her precious sight away.  

          "Echo?  Echo honey?  Where are you?  Echo?" A deep, masculine voice called, mincing her brain.  

          Her hand flew to the table, knocking the lamp that rested there upon the floor.  She groped blindly with her fingers, reaching out to the voice.  

          The Pumpkin King turned to his wife, "She's not in here, Sal, I'll check the basement."

          There was a crash, the sound of breaking glass, and the sound of a body falling to the floor.  

          Jack and Sally turned to stare down the hallway, "Jaaaaack." Sally's voice rose.  

          Jack rushed down the hall, Sally close at his heels, "ECHO!!" He called, sliding on the slick floor into the parlor, "ECHO!" he halted to a stop in the darkened doorway.  

          The young Pumpkin Princess' hands groped at the floor silently, her face disturbed, and distant, her eyes clouded, and hollow.

* * *

          "River, I've come back, I've come back for you." Orion said meekly, "I've come back."

          "I can see that." River snarled.  

          "But it's different this time, River, it's different now." Orion's crystal eyes stared down at her like daggers.  

          "Different?" River said is disbelief, "Different?  How are things different, Orion?"

          "I'm here to stay." Orion smiled softly, he placed a hand on her shoulder.  

          River shrugged it away angrily, "So what?  Things won't change!  Things **_changed while you where away!"_**

          "I know things changed, but times change, nothing can stop that.  I love you River." Orion watched her stomp away from him to the window.  

          Lightning reflected in River's crystal eyes as she stood staring out into the darkness, "Of all of the holiday worlds, you had to step into mine."

* * *

          "Echo, what happened?" Jack gripped his youngest daughter's hand.  

          "Not so loud, please." Echo moaned softly, slowly starting to recover, "I don't know, I got a headache, then it got worse, and I couldn't see." Her delicate fingers played with her half empty glass.  

          "When did you get a headache?  Why didn't you come tell me?  I could have given you something for it." Jack massaged her hand.  

          "I was fine ten minutes ago, and why would I bother, you…" Echo trailed off, her eyes squinted; she pushed her self into a sitting position.  

          "Echo." Jack's voice rose. "Echo, what's wrong?" his eye sockets watched her closely.  

          Echo remained silent and examined her glass, swirling the ice around with her finger.  She picked out a small leaf, and pulled it closer to her face.  

          "What's that?" Jack asked, disturbing the silence, examining the leaf for himself.  

          Echo sucked in a sharp breath, "Nightshade." She turned to Jack; her eyes trembled with fear.  

          Sally stood silently in the doorway, surveying the scene before her.  She gasped, the glass of ice water in her hand fell to the ground and shattered.  

* * *

          "I know you're mad, River, I would be too, but I came _back for you.  I couldn't stand to see the light of another day without seeing you." Orion watched his love pace around the room of the small cabin.  _

          "Well that's just too bad then, you're never going to see the light of another day, Orion, or, should I call you Mr. Ceryx, since we've never known each other very well.  We must be acquaintances, since acquaintances would never run out on each other, no, they would never do that." River mocked.  

          "River, please, listen." Orion said softly, trying to gently persuade her.  

          River spun around fiercely, her red hair whipping at her face, "No, Orion, you listen!  You left me with nothing but a note and what was left of my shattered life!  For five years, Orion, five years.  I wasted five years of my life in depression, disbelief, and the silly hope, that you would come back."

          "And I'm back now, your wish came true!" Orion's face smiled back at her scowl.  

          "My wish came true?!  My wish, came true?" River stared at him in disbelief, "I spent four days in the guest bedroom where you stayed, erasing every moment that we ever spent together.  I'm over you, Orion, it's time you realize that."

          "River, you're not serious."

          "Sorry to tell you, Orion, but I am."

* * *

          "Why would somebody put nightshade into my baby girl's drink?" Sally rocked Echo back and forth.  

          "I don't know, Mom, I don't know, but there is one thing that I do know." Echo felt herself becoming nauseous in her mother's arms.  

          "What?!" Jack and Sally asked in perfect unison.  

          "It's one thirty in the morning, I'm tired, I'm going to bed, we can discus this in the morning.  Oh, excuse me, it's already morning, we can discus this after dawn has broken." Echo pried herself from Sally's protective arms and past Jack's protesting ones.  

          "Goodnight, honey, pleasant nightmares." Jack kissed her forehead.  

          "Goodnight, Echo." Sally smiled to hide her fear for her daughter, failing miserably.  

          "Goodnight, if River comes back, wait 'til morning to tell me." Echo turned and climbed the stairs to her bedroom.  

          Darkness surrounded her; a cold wind blew from an open window.  

          Echo stared at the open window, rain pelted inside, lightning flashed in the distance, thunder rattled the room.  She hadn't opened the window.  No one had been in her room the entire day.  

          She shook her head closed the window, and crawled into bed, covering herself with the warm blankets, welcoming their security.  

          "I don't like it, Jack.  Something very strange is going on around here, and it doesn't have anything to do with Halloween." Sally paced around the room.  

          "You're going to ware a hole in the floor if you keep doing that, Sal." Jack warned.  

          "I'm warning you Jack, I'm not in the mood for jokes right now!" Sally's voice rose.  

          "Who's joking?" Jack asked solemnly.  

* * *

          "That's it!" River exclaimed, and jumped off the couch, "I'm leaving, I'm going back to my home, back to Halloweentown.  I don't have to explain anything to you." She stomped to the door and flung it open.  

          "No, wait!" Orion shouted, "Don't go!"

          "Why not?" River's voice softened.  

          Orion paused, there was an eerie silence, he drew in a deep breath, "Don't go yet, it's not safe.  It's late, stay here for the night, we don't have to talk, with the weather like it is, you shouldn't be outside in your condition."

          "I hit my head, Orion, I'm not dead." River said with disgust, but she knew he was right; it was far too dangerous for her to go back to Halloweentown tonight, she'd have to wait till morning.  

          "Come on, you can have the bedroom, I'll sleep down here, you'll be safe up there." Orion gently offered his arm to her.  

          "I can see that you haven't forgotten how to be a gentleman." River smiled slightly, the tears welling up, and accepted his arm.  

          Orion dusted off a pillow and gave it to River, "I left because you're life was in danger."

          River stared at him, tears rolling down her pale cheeks, "Would you stop?" she cried, "Stop telling me why you left!  I don't care!  You left because my life was in _danger?  That's the oldest one in Halloween history!"_

          Hurt filled Orion's eyes, "Okay, we won't talk about it anymore, just get a good night's rest, my love." He kissed River's forehead, and gave her one last glance before leaving the room.  

          River stared back at him, tears falling heavily down her cheeks, "My love?" she uttered in disbelief.  She shook her head, and laid down for the night, her mind wondering to her family and friends back home, in Halloweentown, and to the young man just downstairs, a young man that she had once loved.  

* * *

          The gentle rise and fall of Echo's slender body cast an eerie shadow on the dark walls of the silent room.  

          Echo moaned softly in her sleep and rolled over, her pale violet skin lighting up with the lightning.  

          The stain glass window by Echo's bedside shattered; a large object fell to the floor.   

          Echo was wrenched away from her peaceful dreamland of sleep, she stared at the broken window, the rain falling even harder now, beating down though the broken window with fierce intent.  Her nimble feet flew to the floor, pulling the covers with her to shield her from the cold; she crawled to the object to examine it.  

          Her mouth opened but the words would not flow, she sucked in a few raspy breaths, and screamed.  

* * *

          The Pumpkin King and his queen where jolted from their light sleep by a bloodcurdling scream coming from Echo's room.  

          Jack sprung from bed, and burst through the master bedroom door and down the dark hallway, Sally close at his heels.  

          The screaming continued, echoing through the darkened hallway, lighted only by lightning and thunder in the distance.  

          "ECHO!" Jack called as he appeared suddenly in the young Pumpkin Princess' doorway.  

          Echo looked up at him, fear filled her eyes, her mouth trembled, her voice was lost; she turned her head to face the broken window, shards of glass hanging down, and strewn on the floor.  

          Sally sucked in a sharp breath, and rushed to Echo's side, "What happened?" she breathed, hugging Echo close to her.  

          Echo pulled the object from underneath the blankets, "This, this happened.  Someone threw an axe through my window." She laughed out of fear.  

          "Why would someone throw an axe though the window?" Jack asked to no one in particular.  

          "Why would someone put nightshade in my drink?  Why would someone throw an axe through my window?  Why would anyone do anything?  There's no reason, no sane one at least." Echo shook her head.  

          Sally picked up the axe by the handle gingerly, her stitched fingers gripped it tightly, "I don't know why, but I swear, if they ever, ever, come near my daughter, near any of my children, or family, I will personally drive this blade into their-"

          "Wait, Mom, Dad, look at this." Echo reached into the handle of the axe, and pulled out a rolled piece of paper.  

          "It's a note." Jack unrolled the crumpled mass, "They hollowed out the handle, put a note in it, and threw it through your window.  Oh that makes a lot of sense." He handed it back to Echo.  

          "Oh my god." Echo stopped breathing, "Listen to this, _You can't hide forever my dear River Jade, love, your secret admirer.  P.S. Terribly sorry about the nightshade, but you're little friend just decided to come back, and we can't have that."_

* * *

          The old door creaked open and Orion's tall figure stepped into the room.  "Good morning, Riv, did you sleep well?"

          "I used to have nightmares, now I have realities." River remained in her spot by the window, watching the dawn pour in.  "What do you think?" She added bitterly.  

          "I'll take you back home now, if you wish, the storm has settled." Orion told her sadly.  

          "That won't be necessary, Orion, I can find the way myself." River turned and stared softly at him.  

          Orion sighed, the River Jade Skellington he had left five years ago had not changed a single bit.  "Please, let me take you home, you'll be safer that way."

          "Will you stop?!" River screamed, "Stop!  Just stop!" her hands flew to her face, and she collapsed on the bed, her head in her hands.  

          "Riv, I'm sorry, please, you must understand, I care about you, I love you." Orion sat next to her placing his arm around her.  

          River stared at him, "Orion, stop, stop telling me that you love me, you know it's not true!"

          Orion stared back at her; an icy glare filled his eyes.  How could she say such a thing?  Of course he loved her, he always had, and he always would.  

          "We've drifted apart, Orion, it's just the way things are, you can't change reality." River sighed, playing with the blankets on the bed.  

          "Do you really want to know why I left, River?  Do you really want to know?  Is your puerile-like thirst for the truth so overcome by itself that in the world with your myriad of problems you still find the time to say, 'Gee, I wonder why Orion left me?  He wouldn't have left without a reason, would he?'  After all of these years you still care to know the reason why I left five years ago?!  Is it really that important to you?" Orion screamed, jumping from his place on the bed next to her, pacing around the room with hellish anger.  

          "Yes!  Yes, Orion!  I did want to know why you left!  And why you never came back, why you never sent a single letter, left a single message, why you disappeared off the face of the worlds with my heart and soul, and with only a note and a black rose, as 'a symbol for our undying love', what was that, Orion?  Do you not believe in goodbyes, so you leave all of your girlfriends hanging by a note and a flower, that you just left for them to find?" River screamed back.  

          "All of my girlfriends?" Orion asked in shock, "What is that supposed to mean?!  That I'm some kind of freak who dates girl after girl, and when I get tired of them, I just leave?!"

          "If the shoe fits." River smirked.  

          "There where no other girls, River, you where my only girl, you always have been.  You know what, I'm not even going to finish!  You don't care!  I don't even know why you're still here!  You hate me, and I hate you!  Why don't you leave and never come back!  Stay out of my life!" Orion shook his head in disgust.  

          "I haven't left because we're still having a fight, and I never walk away from a fight!" River sneered.  

          "Oh, right, it's in your blood not to walk away from a fight, there goes your Skellington pride again." Orion rolled his eyes.  

          "Skellington pride?" River asked, the danger rising in her voice, "What is that supposed to mean?"

          "What do you think?" Orion growled.  

          River's entire body shook with anger, she screamed, and firmly planted her balled up fist in Orion's right eye.  

          Orion's body convulsed and fell to the floor with a hard thump, he moaned and lay still.  

          River's eyes widened, "Oh my…" she breathed, she looked around, even though she knew that there where no witnesses, she and Orion where alone in the cabin, and most likely, in all of the woods.  "A Skellington never walks away from a fight, until it's finished." She explained to the unconscious man on the floor, "It's finished." She added hastily.  She stepped over the limp body lying on the floor and down the stairs, eagerly making her way back to Halloweentown, leaving behind hundreds of old memories and one old acquaintance.   

* * *

          Oliver shivered in the cold, "Are you sure you haven't seen her?" he asked a short Halloween resident.  

          "No, I haven't.  Has she gone missing again?" He asked, "I swear, you'd think his highness would keep a closer eye on his lovely daughter, she is the Pumpkin Princess, and heir to his throne." 

          "River's not a child, she's a young woman, Dad can't control her anymore than anyone else, she's her own boss.  He watches over her, but he lets her do what she wants to do." Oliver defended his father and sister.  

          "Well, if I see her, I'll tell you." The resident told him, and went along his business.  

          "Okay, thanks." Oliver nodded and continued down the small street.  

          The street was quiet, evening had fallen, and darkness was creeping up on the land.  Streetlights came on, and a mist hung low to the ground.  

          Oliver had been out all day looking for his sister, but with no avail.  He turned and stared down the shadowed streets before him.  

          A shadow appeared in the distance, calling attention to itself.  "Mr. Skellington!" it called, "Mr. Skellington!"

          Oliver stared at the man, his eyes studying him, trying to recognize the man, but he couldn't, he had never seen the man before.  

          "Mr. Skellington, I know where your sister is." The man stopped, "I saw her walking through here, she was headed for the mansion, she looked upset, but refused my offer to walk her home."

          "Did she make it home?" Oliver demanded, "Did she?  Please, oh god, please tell me she did!"

          "Calm down, Mr. Skellington.  She looked like she was upset, and she refused my offer to walk her home, so I followed her to make sure that she returned safely." The man calmed Oliver.  

          "Oh, oh thank Halloween!" Oliver sighed in relief, "Thank you, Mr. …"

          "Mr. Serex." Mr. Serex smiled, "It was no problem, I would have done the same thing had she not been the Pumpkin Princess."

          "Mr. Ceryx?" Oliver's voice turned gravely, "Mr. Orion Ceryx?" he asked, danger rising in his voice.  

          "No, Simon Serex, my last name starts with an S, not a C; Orion Ceryx left Halloweentown five years ago, I saw him leave; we used to be neighbors." Simon shook his head.  

          "Neighbors.  Interesting." _Neighbors with a two-faced jerk… Oliver thought, "Well, thank you very much!" he shook Simon's hand and ran off towards home.  _

          "Anytime!" Simon smiled, and turned back, walking home.  When he approached, he saw his wife standing outside the door.  

          "Where have you been?  I've been worried sick about you!" She put her hands on her hips.  

          "Violet, you'll never guess who I just shook hands with!"

* * *

          The entire Skellington family sat in the parlor in silence.  Small raindrops fell on the windows, echoing the silence.  

          River took a deep breath; Jack, Sally, Echo, and Oliver all turned and faced her.  She stared back at them, "I didn't say anything."

          The silence resumed.  Night had fallen, and the town grew quiet as well.  

          "Someone start talking, I can't stand this horrible silence anymore." Echo spoke up, playing with the velvet pillows.  Noticing that everyone was staring at her with evil content, she spoke again, "You all look like you're going to kill each other!  And I'm tired of it!  This family has spent five years doing nothing but fussing over River and her problems, ignoring ourselves, and everyone else!  She isn't the center of the universe you know; she's not an only child; there are three of us!  And two of us have been put aside." She paused, "We all have our problems, and we all solve them in different ways, but none of them are more important that anyone else's.  That's what you've always taught us.  But that's not what's happening here." Echo stood and left the room.  

          "Echo!  Echo come back!" Oliver called, "Echo!" he turned and faced his parents and sister.  

          "Is that how you feel, Oliver?" Sally asked softly, dreading the answer.  

          "I don't know, kind of, I guess." Oliver shrugged, "You and Dad have been ignoring us in the last few days, you did before, not to much though, but I forgot about it because I was worried about Riv."

          River, who had been quiet for the entire conversation up until now, spoke softly, "I never wanted to get more attention for myself because of what was going on in my life.  I hated the extra attention most of the time, but I was so involved in tying to help myself, that I didn't do much about it.  I'm sorry, Oliver, for the Hell that I've put you through these past five years, I really am."

          "Don't apologize to me, Riv, Echo's the one that needs to hear it." Oliver looked up the staircase and back at River.  

          River nodded, she stood slowly and walked calmly up the stairs, her soft footsteps making only a slight sound on the well-worn wood.  The door to Echo's room was closed; a nightlight cast a pale shadow underneath the door.  River took a deep breath and knocked, "Echo?  Echo it's me, can I come in?"

          "Go away!" A muffled voice waffled from within.  "Go away and stay away!"

          "Echo, please, there's something that I need to tell you." River pleaded.  

          "I said go away!" Echo screamed, "I don't want to talk right now." She grumbled.  

          River sighed, and gave up, it was no use trying to talk to her sister now, she was obviously, and rightfully, mad, and wanted to be left alone.  She turned and walked back down the stairs.  

          "Did you talk to her?" Jack asked of her softly, "Would she let you?"

          "No, she's too upset right now, she deserves to be.  After what I did." River shook her head.  

          "You didn't do it on purpose, your mother and I are the ones to blame." Jack put a hand on her shoulder.  

          River nodded slightly, "I'm going to go talk with Mom for a while." She turned and left the room.  

          Jack stepped silently up the darkened stairs, making his way to Echo's bedroom.  He knocked softly on the heavy wooden door, "Echo honey?"

          "What?" a voice growled back.  

          "Can I come in?" Jack asked softly.  

          There was a pause, and then a click as the door unlocked.  Jack pushed the door open and saw Echo lying on her bed.  He wordlessly walked over to her; she moved her lanky legs over so he could sit.  

          "You have every right to be upset, Echo, and I'm sorry for ignoring you so much." He ran his skeleton fingers across her shoulder.  

          Echo kept her head turned away from him, "I'm sorry, Dad, I really am."

          Jack's eye sockets rose, "There's no need to apologize, honey.  It's not your fault." He quieted her.  

          She turned to look at him, tears falling from her crystal blue eyes, "I didn't mean it." she sniffed.  

          "Didn't mean what, honey?" Jack asked, brushing away her short red hair from her face.  

          "You and Mom ignoring me, and Oliver." Echo swallowed, "It was just, the way everyone was looking at each other in there.  There was an evil gleam in everyone's eyes, it was like we all where planning everyone else's demise."

          "It was a tense situation.  But you know that I would never hurt anyone of you, River, you, Oliver, or your mother, right?  And I doubt any of them would hurt each other either." Jack agreed.  

          "I know." Echo nodded slightly, "I'm just kinda shook up about my window being open, and the axe, and the nightshade."

          "Who wouldn't be?" Jack smiled, "You're tough, Echo, you'll get through this, and you'll always have me to fall back on."

          "Thanks Dad." Echo smiled back though the tears, she pulled herself into a sitting position and wrapped her long arms around him tightly, "I love you, Dad." She whispered.  

          "I love you too Echo." Jack whispered back, returning her hug, 

          There was a pause, and neither spoke.  Tiny raindrops pelted the plastic tarp over the broken window.  

* * *

          River stretched out on the couch in the parlor, lit only by a single lamp, "I would have come home sooner, if I only could."

          "Don't worry about it, Riv.  We just want you to be safe, wherever you are.  But next time, I'd appreciate it if you tried to tell us where you are." Sally told her, worry shone in her eyes.  

          "I would have, but I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that Orion is back, after all these years, myself.  But I saw him; he was there; his own flesh and blood was standing before me." River said, disgust edging her voice.  

           "Why would he come back after five years?" Sally asked, "Does he still love you?  If he truly did, he wouldn't have left in the first place."

          "He says that he left because my life was in danger.  He kept saying that my life was in danger, and it wasn't safe for me to do something."

          "Did it ever occur to you that he could be telling the truth?" A deep voice asked from behind them.  

          River jumped, "Oliver!  Don't scare me like that!  I've had enough surprises to last me a lifetime."

          "Did you ever think that Orion could have been telling the truth?  That your life really was in danger?" Oliver asked again.  

          "Why would my life be in danger?  Oliver, Orion's making up things to try to win me back.  He still loves me, and I don't love him, and he can't handle it." River explained.  

          "You're life may be in danger, Riv." Sally began, "Some things happened the night you were away."

          "Things?" River asked quietly, "What kind of things happened last night?"

          "Someone slipped nightshade into Echo's drink, for starters." Oliver leaned against the doorframe.  

          "That same person came into Echo's room, and left the window open.  And the same person threw an axe through her window, with a note in the handle." Sally added.   

          "A note?" River asked, "What kind of note?  What did it say?" she noticed a sudden silence, and she knew that the note was not a pleasant one; as if a note in the handle of an axe that was thrown through someone's window could ever be pleasant.  

          "It said that you couldn't hide forever, River Jade Skellington, love your secret admirer, and, that they were sorry about the nightshade, but your little friend came back, and we can't have that." Oliver stared deep into her eyes.  

          River opened her mouth to speak, but found no words, "I, um." She uttered.  

          "River, is Orion you're secret admirer?" Sally asked of her softly; she fingered her stitches.  

          "I have a secret admirer?" River smiled timidly; she had been completely unaware of the entire situation until now.  

          "I don't think its Orion." Jack spoke up as he entered the room, "He blatantly says that he loves River, so why would he have to sign his name as a "secret admirer", and if he loves her as much as he thinks he does, why would he try to kill her, or throw an axe through her window?  It doesn't make any sense."

          "Since when have things ever made sense around here?" River asked.  

          "Does anyone see what I'm getting at here?  Anyone at all?" Jack asked.  

          "I do." Oliver nodded, "And if River was with Orion last night, then he couldn't have been here spiking Echo's drink, or coming into her room, or-"

          "That's enough, Oliver, we get the point." Sally stopped him, "It's not Orion."

          "But who?" Jack wondered.  

* * *

          A gloved figure hovered by Echo's broken window, carefully peeling the tape away from the plastic.  "It's been too long since I've seen my River Jade, I think it's about time I start watching over her again."  

          The tape pulled away easily, but loudly, he slowed his movements to quiet the sound, and not to disturb his love's sleep.  Finally, the plastic fell, providing easy access through the shattered window.  

          Echo moaned, and rolled over slowly to her side, facing her intruder.  

          The gloved figure gasped, "You are not my River Jade." He uttered, "She's been trying to hide." He laughed evilly, "But I'll find her yet, just you wait."

* * *

          Orion Ceryx stepped into the main street of Halloweentown, where ghouls and goblins were busy carving pumpkins, and preparing for the upcoming Halloween.  

          He watched them work side by side with their family and friends.  During the long months, years he was away, he had thought of nothing but the people he had left behind.  

          He walked past Town Hall and through the gates of the Skellington mansion. The long, stone, staircase loomed in front of him.  He made his way up, closed his eyes, and pulled the spider doorbell.  

          The doorbell screamed, startling everyone.  They all stared at each other, their eyes silently pleading with the other to answer the door.  

          "I'll get it." Jack moved in his spider-like motions to the wooden door.  He slowly pulled the door open and did not expect what he saw.  "Orion?" he asked softly, so that River and Sally would not hear, but the pure shock was evident in his deep voice.  

          "Yes, Mr. Skellington, it's me.  I've come to see you." Orion nodded.  

          "Really?" Jack asked, clearly not believing his cover story, "Why?"

          "There is a matter of great importance that I muss discus with you." Orion told him, working through Jack's stubbornness.  

          "Is that so?" Jack asked, picking his teeth with the boy, "And what is your little matter?" Trying his best to antagonize him.  

          "It concern's River's safety." Orion said simply, "I've already tried to tell her, but she refuses to listen, someone must know, her life is in danger; I shouldn't even be here right now."

          "You've got one thing right." Jack stood up straight, "You shouldn't be here."

          "Please, Mr. Skellington, River doesn't want to see me, and she most likely won't listen to me either, I need someone with an open mind that has not suffered as she has."

          "Someone who has not suffered as she has?" Jack asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

          "All I'm saying is that I need to speak with someone and tell them all I know, and River, she's had a rough five years, so have I, being away from her was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I did it.  Now, Mr. Skellington, ask yourself, why would I put myself and River though this eternal Hell, for nothing?" Orion stared deep into Jack's eye sockets.  

          Jack opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a voice, "Jack!  Who is it?"

          "It's the mayor, Sal!" Jack turned to face the entry way, "I'm going out to the Spiral Hill, I'll be back in an hour or two!" he turned back to face Orion, "This better be good, if Sal finds out that I lied to her, all Hell will brake loose."

          "Sounds like River." Orion smirked.  

          "You have no idea." Jack stared back at him.  

          "Where are we going, really?" Orion asked as he and Jack descended down the stone staircase.  

          "The Spiral Hill." Jack answered, "It's very quiet and secluded; I own it." He smirked, rubbing it in.  

          "Ahhh." Orion raised his eyebrows; two days ago he would have never dreamed that he would be talking to the Pumpkin King.  

          The walk to the Spiral Hill was a quiet one; neither man talked other than a simple wave or motion to a passing resident.  When they reached the top of the Spiral Hill, the full moon had just risen, and the night was not unlike the night Jack had seen just before he walked though the forest and found the circle of trees.  

          Jack stopped, and turned to Orion, "What where you going to say about my daughter's safety?"

          "Five years ago, after I had met River, I received a threatening letter.  It said that if I did not leave immediately, River would be killed.  The letter was signed by her secret admirer, who said, that if he couldn't have her, no one could." Orion shivered at the memory.  

          "The letter was signed by a secret admirer?" Jack asked, dreading the answer, and at the same time, hoping what he had heard had been correct.  

          "Yes." Orion nodded, "That's why I left, I wanted to say goodbye to River in person, but I didn't want to scare her."

          "In the past few days, there have been three incidents involving the Admirer and Echo." Jack told him.  

          "Why would he go after Echo?  She's innocent, so is River, but Echo really has no connection with this." Orion asked, puzzled.  

          "The first time, the Admirer spiked Echo's drink with nightshade, the second time, Echo's window was left open, from the outside.  The third time, the Admirer threw an axe through her window, with a note inside the handle, a threatening note addressed to River." Jack explained the creepy situation.  

          "What did the note say?" Orion asked, his eyes wide, _he must know I'm back, and he's coming after River…  _

          " _'You can't hide forever, my dear River Jade Skellington, love, your secret admirer, p.s. terribly sorry about the nightshade, but you little friend just decided to come back, and we can't have that.'" Jack quoted the letter.  _

          "Her little friend is me.  I came back because I couldn't stand another day without seeing her.  And now, I've brought with me a madman who's in love with her, but about to kill her.  Some friend I am." Orion shook his head sadly.  

          "Now the pieces of the puzzle all fit together, and the picture, is not pretty." Jack worked the situation out in his mind, "Thank you, Orion, you have been a tremendous help, do you have a place to stay?"

          "Oh, um, not exactly, but I wouldn't want to impose, and shake you family's well-being any more than I already have.  Plus, River and I aren't exactly on the best terms at the moment." Orion stumbled.  

          "You and the entire Skellington family are not on the best terms at the moment." Jack warned him.   

          "I am deeply sorry for the eternal Hell I must have put you all through, but, I did it with River's safety in mind." Orion apologized.  

          "Although I'm not ready to accept your apology, you have come forth with valuable information that concern's the safety of my family, and for that I am eternally grateful." Jack told him, "But, if I ever, ever, find out, that what you have just told me, is in any way _false, I will personally hunt you down like an animal, and make you suffer as we have." Jack's voice turned grave, and his eyes flashed evilly.  _

          Orion gulped involuntarily, even though he had nothing to hide, and what he had said was true, Jack the Pumpkin King, and master of fright, never ceased to scare anyone out of their wits.  

* * *

          "The mayor my pumpkin." Sally grumbled, "Oliver!" she yelled into the kitchen.  

          Oliver groaned, "How does she always know where I am?" he asked his sister who was sitting at the bar.  

          "You're a teenage boy, where else would you be but the kitchen?" River answered, taking a bite of her toast.  

          "Oliver!  Get in here!"

          "Alright, alright!  I'm coming, I'm coming!" Oliver stood and joined his mother at the front window.  "Yes, mother?"

          "Did you see who your father left with?" Sally asked, her eyes scanning the entire view.  

          "The mayor, I think, isn't that what he said?" Oliver shrugged and heading back to the kitchen.  

          "You actually believed him?" Sally asked, turning towards him, "Your father's not a very good liar."

          "Well, not that you mention it, it did sound kinda phony, but I couldn't see him, so, whatever." Oliver slid around like a little kid who just told someone something they weren't supposed to tell them.  

          "I saw though his cover, but who would he go to the Spiral Hill with?" Sally said more to herself than Oliver.  

          "Would you like me to get the binoculars?  It'd be a perfect time to spy on the neighbors, while you're at it." Oliver asked.  

          "Oliver Jack Skellington!" Sally scolded, "I would never spy on the neighbors, or your father!  I'm just worried about him, he left with some strange man and hasn't come back yet."

          "I'll go get the binoculars." Oliver turned and descended down the long staircase to the basement.  

          "Okay, thanks Honey."

* * *

          Jack and Orion snuck back behind the house to the back door.  "The cellars down there." Jack pointed to the large, French doors with a heavy deadbolt on them.  

          Orion nodded and looked up at Jack.  

          "No one goes down there except me, the kids think it's haunted and Sally likes it that way." Jack assured him.  

          "Great, thank you, very much, I can be out before dawn." Orion thanked him.  

          "Why tomorrow?  I won't let River hurt you," Jack reassured him, "Very much."  Danger flashed in Jack's eye sockets, Orion now knew where River got that.  

          Jack unlocked the deadbolt before heading back around to the front of the house, and opening the front door.  

          Sally stood directly in front of him, "And where have you been?" she asked as if he were a child.  

          "With the mayor, like I told you." Jack answered smoothly, "Doing some spying I see?" he motioned to the binoculars in her hand.  

          "I was trying to find you." Sally defended herself, "I didn't know where you were."

          "I was at the Spiral Hill, like I told you, with the mayor, like I told you." Jack pushed past her.  

          "And you expect me to believe that?" Sally asked, "Jack, I know when you're lying, and your doing it right now."

          Jack sighed, he knew he had been defeated, "I wasn't with the mayor, but I was at the Spiral Hill."

          "Who were you with?" Sally asked quietly, moving closer to him.  

          Jack leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'll tell you outside." He turned and walked back out of the house.  

          Sally groaned and followed him, "Why can't you just tell me?" she asked.  

          Jack led her behind a large woodshed, "Because I don't want the kids to hear." He whispered.  

          "Jaaaack." Sally asked, feeling the tenseness of the situation, "Who were you with?  And why can't the kids hear?"

          "I was with Orion Ceryx." Jack told her.  

          "You where what!" She shrieked, "You were with that, pitiful, jerk, scum of a creature?!"

          "Shhhh!" Jack clamped a skeletal hand over her stitched mouth, "Don't let the kids hear you." He hissed.  

          River and Oliver stared out the kitchen window, "What do you think they're talking about?" Oliver asked.  

          "Stuff." River answered simply, returning to her search for edible food in the pantry.  

          "What kind of stuff?" Oliver asked again, not taking his eyes off his parents, who where obviously having a very heated discussion.  

          "Stuff that parents talk about." River shrugged, "Maybe they're talking about Echo, or my secret admirer, or Orion.  Or, now this is a long shot, they could be talking about," She led up to the answer, "Halloween!"

          "Orion knows about Riv's secret admirer, Sal." Jack explained, "He knows why he's threatening Riv, he knows what brought it on, and he knows how far back it goes."

          "He does?  But how?  How does he know all of this, and we're just learning about it now?" Sally asked.  

          "Because he received the initial letter, saying that if he didn't leave, River's life would be terminated.  That's why he left five years ago, Sally.  He left because River's life was in danger.  And now he came back, because he loves her, I guess, I don't know.  But, the admirer knows that he's back, and that's why he came after Echo, he thought it was River." Jack revealed the entire conversation he and Orion had just had.  

          "Are you sure he's telling the truth?  I mean, how can we trust him after what he did?" Sally asked, seeing some questionable material.  

          "I'm not positive, but how else could he know that attacks had even been made?  No one in the town knows, not even the mayor, it's just us." Jack shrugged.  

          "He's down in the cellar, isn't he?" Sally asked, her eyes turning towards the cellar door.  

          "How did you know?" Jack asked, _so much for our little secret, maybe we can still keep it from the kids…_

          "It's a mother's touch combined with a wife's knowledge of her husband, dear." Sally patted his shoulder.  

          "Ahhh." Jack nodded slightly, and opened the cellar doors; he stood back and let Sally enter before shutting the doors and locking them from the inside.  

          "They went into the cellar, and Dad locked it." Oliver turned to face his sister.  

          "So?" River failed to see the point of the observation; "They keep the wine down there, maybe their getting some for tomorrow or something."

          "Yah, but, Mom never goes into the cellar; Dad does." Oliver's eyes clouded with confusion.  

          "Maybe she wanted to help pick it out this time." River shrugged, "Does it really matter?"

          "Mom doesn't drink wine." Oliver pointed out more information, "Why would she help pick it out?"

          "**I don't know, ****Oliver." River raised her voice slightly.  "****Stop asking."**

          "What do you think they're doing, Riv?" Oliver asked, his voice softening, "This isn't like them, something's up."

          "I have no idea what their doing.  Their being adults and parents." River dismissed the question.   

          "Oh, okay." Oliver turned and looked out the window, he knew something was going on, but what?  "It's one thirty in the morning, Riv, why would they be picking out wine now?"

          River groaned, "Happy hour." She slid from her seat and left the room silently.  

          "Sal, I promised Orion that I wouldn't let Riv hurt him," Jack stopped her, moments before she would have come in contact with the man who deserted her daughter five, long, years, ago.  

          "Too much." Sally smiled, finishing his sentence, knowing her husband well, "But you didn't promise him that I wouldn't hurt him."

          "No, I didn't, but…" Jack knew she would say that, "Just don't, kill him, okay?  Save some for me."

          "Consider it done." Sally grinned, "Orion!" she screamed, startling Jack.  

          "Ouch." Jack moaned, _God how does she do that?!  It drives me crazy!  _

          "It's a mother's touch, Jack, and I know it drives you crazy, that's part of the reason I do it." Sally faced the dark shadow sitting on the floor.  "Now, Orion.  I'd like to speak with you.  As much as I can before I lunge at you savagely and rip out your throat." Her voice maintained an eerie level of calmness.  

* * *

          "My dearest River Jade, I know you have been trying to hide from me.  Why do you try?  You know that you can never escape me.  With a love as deep as mine, anything is possible.  A love, which you will soon know." Metallic clicks of a keyboard echoed through the darkness of the room.  A deep voice followed, "Now, how do I deliver this letter of love?" Evil laughter rang though the silence.  

* * *

          "Their up to something, I know they are." Oliver paced around the room, a single pair of eyes staring back at him, watching him, and listening.  He stopped, "You believe me, don't you, Zero?  You've got to believe me, no one else does." Oliver played with Zero's floppy ears.  

          Zero yipped, and nudged him with his glowing pumpkin nose.  He floated next to Oliver, his puppy eye sockets gazing back at him, reassuring him.  

          "Thanks boy, at least somebody's on my side." Oliver smiled and scratched the little ghost dog behind his floppy ears.  

          There was a knock on the door, "Come in." Oliver shifted from his position on the floor into a more comfortable one.  

          The door creaked open, and the tall form of Echo stepped into the room.  "Ollie," she smiled, "Are you busy?  I need to talk to you."

          "Does it look like I'm busy?" Oliver asked, smirking, "Zero might be busy though."

          "Zero sleeps all day, and you have no life, Ollie." Echo rolled her eyes, "Now shut up and listen, this is serious."

          Oliver could see that his sister knew something, that their parents didn't know, and it was going to stay that way.  

          "The admirer was back." Her voice was grave; "He was in my room, while I was sleeping, Ollie, he was there, watching me."

          "How do you know?" Oliver stood, moving closer to her, "Are you sure it was him?  It might have been just a dream."

          "Dreams don't leave footprints." Echo's eyes constricted with fear, anger, and adrenaline all flooded together.  

* * *

          Sally, Jack, and Orion sat silently on the cellar floor, watching each other's every move.  The conversation had lasted a short twenty minutes; now, stillness and loathing filled the small room.  

          Sally opened her mouth to speak, but stopped; she could think of nothing to say.  

           "How are Echo and Oliver doing?" Orion looked up into the faces of the people who had almost become his family.    

          Jack and Sally where taken back by the question, "Their fine." Sally answered softly.  

          "Echo turned eighteen last month, and Oliver turned seventeen three weeks ago." Jack smiled as he thought of his two youngest children.  

          "River used to talk about them a lot, she was close to her siblings." Orion smiled.  

          "Yes, very close." Sally agreed; she was impressed of his knowledge of her daughter.  

           "Just like she used to be with me." Orion's smile faded; a single tear ran down his face.  

* * *

          "I can't take this, Ollie, I'm going to my room!" Echo stared Oliver straight in the eyes.  

          "Echo, I know you're a little upset, but, at least let me come with you." Oliver calmed her.  

          "I'm not a little upset, I'm way past upset, I'm very shaken up, and on the verge of hysterical, Ollie." She leaned closer to him, "He's already been in my room multiple times, he's been in the house, and I know he's watching, and listening."

          "Echo, you're going crazy on me, calm down." There was an eerie level of calmness in Oliver's voice.  

          Echo leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, "I want to get out of here, I'm going to run for it."

          "Run for what?!  Where are you going to go?!" Oliver whispered back.  

          "Christmas Town.  I can make a run for it, I'll go to the Spiral Hill, through the graveyard, I can make it through the woods; it should be no problem.  Once I make it to circle of trees, I'll go to Christmas Town." Echo whispered.  

          "How are you going to know how to get there?  You've never been to the circle of trees before, none of us have, except Dad?" Oliver asked.  

          "Zero has, I'll take him with me; I can find the way myself, I've always been good at that." Echo smiled slightly.  

          "I'm going with you," Oliver stood, helping her to her feet, "Come on, Zero, let's go for a walk."

* * *

          River sighed as she lay on her bed, staring up at the dark canopy and the ceiling.  She heard footsteps down the stairs and past Echo and Oliver's rooms, and then past hers.  She knew by the heavy clunking that Echo was coming down the stairs, but she couldn't make out the other person, most likely it was Oliver, since they where almost always together.  There was nowhere to go at two a.m., so why was anyone going anywhere?

* * *

          Echo shivered in the cold morning air, "Are you ready, Ollie?" she asked, "Once we get into the woods, there's no turning back."

          "I'm ready, I left Mom and Dad a note, saying that we'd be back before dinner." Oliver nodded.  

          Echo smiled and shivered again, pulling her loose shirt closer around her.  

          "Come on." Oliver laid his arm around her and they started walking quickly down the path to the Spiral Hill.  

          "Ollie," Echo said as they walked though the graveyard, "What if he follows me, to Christmas Town?"

          "It's two in the morning, Echo; you're just tired, don't worry, everything will be okay as soon as we get to Christmas Town and you have a good night's sleep." Oliver comforted her.   

          "I'm scared, Ollie." Echo sniffed, leaning closer to him.  "I'm eighteen years old, I'm an adult; I shouldn't be scared."

          "You know that's a lie, Echo." Oliver smiled at her, and she did her best to smile back.  

* * *

          Sally shivered, she glanced at the clock on the wall, "Oh my god, it's three a.m., Jack!"

          "Huh?" Jack mumbled, lifting his head from his arm and opening his eyes, "What happened?"

          "It's three a.m., we must have fallen asleep." Sally pulled herself to her feet.  

          "I'll go check on the kids." Jack yawned and stumbled off up the dark stairs.  

          Sally looked down at Orion's sleeping figure, she still could not believe that he was here to stay; she simply knew that his sudden arrival would be followed by a sudden departure, most likely for unknown reasons once again.  

          The first light of the dawn started to break through as Jack walked through the back door and up another set of stairs to the kids' bedrooms.  

          There was a soft humming sound coming from River's closed door.  Jack smiled and walked past, to Echo and Oliver's rooms.  Echo's door was slightly ajar; he knocked softly and pushed the door open further, "Honey?  You in here?" he called softly.  

          There was no answer.  A slight breeze rippled the curtains through the broken window.  The bed was empty; sheets tossed everywhere.  

          Jack eyed the room before he turned and walked briskly to Oliver's room.  The door was slightly ajar as Echo's was, and the sheets where tossed everywhere as well.  _At least Oliver's room is normal… Jack though and walked up the final flight of stairs to the master bedroom.  _

          He walked though the open door, he flung himself rather ungracefully on the bed.  Something sliced his hand, "Yeow!" he screeched, and looked down at a piece of paper.  "What is this?" he asked aloud as he picked it up and read it.  

          _Dear Mom and Dad,_

_          Something has happened, and Echo no longer feels safe here in Halloweentown.  She wanted to leave tonight, so I've taken her someplace safe, I'll be back before dinner tomorrow.  Don't worry about us; we'll be fine.  _

_Love,_

_Oliver_

* * *

          Oliver yawned as they came upon the circle of trees.  He glanced over at Echo; she mumbled something in her sleep and yawned.  There was no point in waking her; they'd be in Christmas Town in a few minutes, where she'd just go to sleep again anyway.  

          Oliver carefully picked her up and opened the Christmas tree door; "Here goes nothing." He said as they where sucked in by a sudden gust of wind.  

          A soft snow blanketed the warm town; Oliver carried Echo through the archway and past the toy-warehouse to Sandy Claws' doorstep.  

          He held his breath as he rang the doorbell.  A cheery Christmas tune played, and the wooden door swung open.  

          "Why, Oliver!" Sandy laughed, "I haven't seen you in a long time!  What brings you to Christmas Town?"

          "Echo, actually." Oliver did his best to smile, "It's a long story, but, can she stay with you for a while?"

          "Of course!" Sandy motioned for them to come it, "What ever is the matter?"

          Oliver set his sister down on the couch by the fire, "I don't know where to begin." He laughed quietly.  

          "How about from the beginning?" Sandy asked as he eyed Oliver's features, he seemed darker, and more strung out than before, his eyes where sunken in, and his face was paler than it normally was.  

          Oliver started to tell the entire story for the first time; "The past five years have been a roller coaster ride of thrills, broken hearts, fights, family, friends, and evilness." He began.  

* * *

          The Halloween sun had risen and was just starting to fall.  Jack, Sally, and Oliver sat in the living room talking softly.  

          "I didn't want to tell you where I was taking Echo in the letter, because of how shook up she was, she doesn't want anyone to know where she is, except me." Oliver stared out the window.  

          "It's okay, Oliver, don't worry about it, as long as Echo's safe, and we know where she is, it's okay." Jack dismissed his worries.  

          "Nothing's _okay around here." Sally pointed out, "But it's the closest we're going to get to it."_

          There was a few moments of silence before Oliver spoke again, "Yesterday, just after midnight, I saw you guys going into the cellar,"

          Jack and Sally stiffened, and looked at each other, "Yes, we went into the cellar last night." Jack confirmed.  

          "Why?" Oliver asked, looking into his parents' eyes and eye sockets.  

          "Um, well, we, uh…" Sally trailed off.  

          "We were, um, with," Jack stumbled, "Do you have to know?" he asked.  

          Oliver stared at him gravely, "Yes."

          Jack and Sally sighed and looked at each other, "We where talking with Orion." Sally told him.  

          Oliver stared at them for a few moments, before falling to the floor with a loud _thud.  _

* * *

          Orion cautiously opened his eyes; he sat up, feeling the stiffness of his body.  He stood slowly, and stumbled up the stairs and out of the cellar, not knowing that someone was watching him.  

          River stared out the kitchen window with cold eyes, _So that's where you've been hiding, Orion.  Nice try, but you can't escape me. She turned and walked out the back door, following him.  _

          Orion walked slowly through town, before returning to the Spiral Hill to think.  He stood at it's top, staring into the sky, past the graveyard, past the pumpkin patch, past the forest.  

          "You didn't think you could hide here forever, did you?" A dark voice came from behind.  

          He spun around, startled, "River!" he looked deeply at her, "I never wanted to hide from you.  I can't stand to be away from you for so long."

          "I don't want to hear it, Orion." River stopped him; "I don't want to know why you followed me home, why you left, why you came back, why you're here, or that you love me."

          Orion was silent, trying to depict what she had just told him in his mind.  

          "All I want, is for you to leave Halloween, I want you to leave, and never come back.  Just leave my life, like you did five years ago, and never come back, **_ever.  Can you do that for me, Orion?" River's jade eyes sliced through him like daggers.  _**

          "Riv, I can't just walk away, I love you." Orion protested, "How can I just leave you here?"

          "You did it five years ago, do it now." River's icy glare seemed more evil than ever.  

          Orion stared back at her; he knew that it was no use arguing with her, she wouldn't listen.  "Okay, fine." He surrendered.  

          _That was easy.  She thought, __Too easy, way, way too easy…  "Listen Orion, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but its not working."_

          "I'm not trying to pull anything." Orion told her sadly moving closer to her.  

          She started to back away, but stopped, and let him come closer than she ever thought she would again.  

          "I know I can't stay, but please, River Jade Skellington, remember me this way." Orion touched her soft red hair one last time, turned, and walked out of her life.  He turned back, receiving only River's icy glare; he closed his eyes, and kept walking.  

          River watched him go, "And stay out of my life forever!  Never, ever, ever come back!  Good riddance!" she shrieked.  

          The words pierced his heart, he knew he deserved it, he had hurt her deeply, and now she was returning his gift.  _If only you would have understood, I wouldn't have left if your life weren't in danger!  He screamed in his mind.  He let the tears flow, rolling down his cheeks and falling onto the hard ground.  The harsh words followed him though Christmas Town, and echoed in the empty cabin where loved had once lived.  _

          The fire flickered, and died out.  Orion made no attempt to keep it going.  He watched, and knew, that the dying fire was just like their love, it had once burned bright, but one faulty move, and it died, forever.  

          He knew what he had to do.  He stood, opened a wooden drawer, and pulled a long, wickedly curved, knife.  He tested it on his wrist; the blood started to flow freely.  He didn't feel the pain; he felt nothing.  

          The shiny blade glistened and reflected a deep ruby red on his face.  He knew what he had to do, and he was going to do it.  He raised the knife to his throat, and took a deep breath.  "I love you, River, I always have, and I always will."


End file.
